Yarn-winding machine



oct. 17, 193.51. E. KINSELLA ET AL 2,176,182

YARN-WINDING MACHINE E. KINSELLA RAWMONCRIEFF INVENTORS l 7 I f l ATTORNEY:

Oct. 17, 1939. E. KlNsELLA ET Al.

YARN-WINDING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 23, 1937 E KNSELLA l NVENTOKS Patented Oct. 17, 1939 UNITED STATES YARN-WINDING MACHINE Edward Kinsella and Robert Wighton' Moncrieff, Spondon, near Derby, England, assignors to Celanese Corporation of America, a' corporation of Delaware Application` July 23, 1937, Serial No. 155,191 In Great Britain August 7, 1936 13 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in yarn-winding machines and in particular to machines for winding cross-Wound cheeses and like packages.

The winding machine according to the invention comprises a friction drive for a package support and a tension-controlled device for regulating the friction drive, soy that as the diameterl of the package increases more slip is allowed to take place in the friction drive, thus compensating for the tendency of the peripheral speed of the package to.increase. Thus, the package support may be driven by the frictional contact between a roller secured to the support and a roller on a driven shaft, tension-controlled means being provided to lift the package roller slightly upon increase in yarn tension and vice versa, so as to decrease or increase the winding speed accordingly.

A further feature of the machine accordingto the invention consists of means for maintaining a correct distance between the traverse guide and the periphery of the package as the diameter of the package increases. These means may, for example, consist of a member adapted to feel the surface of the package and gearing driven by the member to move the axis of the package progressively away from the traverse guide.

A further feature of the invention consists of means for compensating for the increasing Weight of the package so as to enable the sensitivity of the tension controlled member operating in conjunction With the friction drive to be maintained during the building of the package. In a preferred form of the machine, the compensating means are controlled by the means that move the axis of the package support away from the traverse guide.

By means of the invention the tension of the yarn wound on the package is controlled throughout the winding operation with the result that the package has substantially uniform firmness throughout its bulk. Further,` by reason of the correct positioning of the traverse guide with respect to the surface of the package, accurate winding of the yarn is effected.

Two forms of the apparatus according tor/the invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is a side elevation of a mechanism disposed for the winding of artificial filament yarn ferent phases of a package-building operation of a second form of mechanism suitable for the involving a backwinding operation, it is usual for the yarn to be delivered to the winding device at a substantially constant speed, and the mechanisms according to the invention are particularly well adapted to production of uniformly built cheeses from constantly delivered yarn by reason of the automatic compensation for increase in package diameter. A

Referring to Fig. 1 the Winding device is disposed substantially below the feed roller I of a dry spinning machine receiving yarn 2 from a spinning, cabinet 3 above the feed roller. As is usual in dry spinning apparatus a large number of yarns are simultaneously produced, the feed roller shaft 4 running lengthwise ofthe machine so as to deliver the several yarns to a corresponding number of winding devices. Though only one of these Winding devices is shown in the drawings, it will be understood that al1 the other devices are similar in character, conveniently being driven by a single shaft 5 running lengthwise of the machine.

The driving shaft 5 carries a narrow friction roller 6 on which rests a smaller friction roller I mounted on one end of a package support 8 rotatably/mounted on a spindle 9. The spindle 9 is mounted in a cradle I0 comprising a crossbar I Iv connecting two end members, one of which, I2, is pivote-d on the friction roller shaft. The other end member I3 guides the other end of the spindle y9 in such a manner that the smaller friction roller 'I is free to move radially so that the weight of the spindle presses the small friction roller against the periphery of the larger roller 6. The spindle 9 rests in forked bearings I4, I5 in the cradle, which enable the spindle and package support to be readily inserted and removed.

At the end of the cradle I0 carrying the beary ing I5, the cradle is supported and guided by a pin I6 resting in a curved slot I1 having its cencontinuously with its production in a dry Spin-.gne substantiauy coinciding with the axis of the ning apparatus; f/

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a somewhat diagrammatic plan view of the same mechanism;

Figs. 4 to 'l are details of part of the mechanism;

Figs. 8 and 9 are side elevations showing dif- `shaft 5, the slot being formed in a member I8 pivoted at a fixed point I9 in the machine frame 29. The package spindle 9 can therefore be moved from the left-hand end 0f the slot II to the right by pushing the pin I6 to the right, the cradle pivoting aboutthe shaft 5.

Somewhat above the level of the spindle 9 is a pair of traverse wires 2| running the length of the machine and reciprocated by any suitable mechanism (not shown) to carry a traverse guide 22 lengthwise of the package support 8. When the cradle I is swung to the left, the package support 8 is carried into contact with a light feeler wheel 23, the point of contact being just below the level of the guide 22. The feeler wheel 23 is driven by contact with the surface of the package, being covered with felt, bristles, sponge rubber, spiked rubber, or other material not likely to damage the yarn.

Atrain of Worms and Worm wheels 24, 25, 26, 21, 28, 29 in a gear box 38 enables the rotation of the wheel 23 to bring about a very slow rotation of a screwed shaft 3I rotatable in the machine frame 20. The shaft 3l passes through a trunnion 32 fitting in a link 33 having a pin 34 passing through the pin II. The trunnion 32 is made in two halves, only one of which, 35, is threaded to engage the. shaft 3l.

Rotation of the shaft 3| causes the trunnion 32 to move to the right, pulling the cradle ID in the same direction by means of the link 33 and the pin I6. As, therefore, the diameter of the yarn package increases, the driving of the feeler wheel 23 by the surface of the package causes the cradle II) to carry the package to the right and keep the one side of the package in substantially the same position relative to the yarn guide 22. In this way, there is at all stages in the building of the package substantially the same (short) length of yarn between the guide and the surface of the package, so that the length of the package over which the yarn is traversed remains substantially constant. Accurate building of the package results from this provision.

When the package is completed, the cradle I0 is pushed to the left by hand. The shaft 3I and the' half-nut 35 are buttress-threaded, and the pushing of the cradle I0 to the left causes the half-nutv to move against the action of a spring 36 out of engagement with the screwed shaft and to slide with the cradle to the left-hand end of the shaft.

There is a tendency for the winding device to increase the tension in the yarn as building of the package progresses, since rollers 6, 1 attempt to drive the package at constant angular speed, notwithstanding its growing periphery. To counteract this tendency, means are provided to rock the slotted member I8 slightly about its pivot I9 so that the one end of the package spindle can be lifted to vary the pressure between the friction rollers.

The lifting is eiected'by means of a tension bar 31 over which the yarn 2 passes after leaving the feed roller I on its way to the traverse guide 22. The tension bar 31 is mounted on the long arm of a lever 38, a short arm 39 of which is connected by a link 40 to a lever 4I pivoted in the frame 20 and formed with a slightly eccentric pin 42 engaging a hole in the slotted member I8. As the tension in the yarn increases, the tension bar 31 is depressed and the `eccentric 'pin 42 is thereby rotated slightly to ,lift the slotted member I8 and ease 'the pressure between the friction rollers 6, 1. The leverage of thetension bar mechanism is so great that, coupled with the small lift of the eccentric pin, a considerable movement of the tension bar provides the very slight movement necessary at the friction rollers to reduce their driving eiort to the amount necessary to keep the tension substantially constant. The yarn is thus Wound at the rate at which it is'produced by the spinning machine.

By reason of the mounting of the one end of the package spindle 9 in the lever formed by the slotted member I8, the levera'ge of the package about the pivot I9 of the slotted member I8 decreases as the weight of the package increases. In this way compensation is provided for the effort required to relieve the pressure between the friction rollers 6, 1 during the building of the package. Further, although the changing position of the package spindle 9 with respect to the pivot I9 of the slotted member results in the amount of lift imparted to the smaller friction roller 1 diminishing as the package size increases, the tension bar 31 is arranged to have sufficient movement to provide for the varying degrees of lift. Thus, at the commencement of the winding operation a smaller movement of the tension bar under changing tension suffices to bring about the necessary change in friction drive, and towards the end of the Winding operation a larger movement of the tension bar is called for.

Referring to Figs. 8 and 9, the package 50 is shown supported in a cradle 5I rotatable about the driving shaft 52. One end of the package spindle 53 is mounted in a fork 54 in one arm of a bell-crank lever 55. A screwed shaft 56 passes through a nut 51 (halved in the same manner as the trunnion 32 of the previously described mechanism) and is driven through gears 58, 59, 60, 6I, 62, 63 from a feeler wheel 64 contacting with the surface of the package.

As the package increases in size, its spindle is pushed to the right by the screwed shaft 56 to keep the left-hand side of the package in the same position relative to the yarn guide 65, which is traversed by wires 66 just above the point of contact of the feeler wheel 64 with the package. The screwed rod 56 is mounted to rock about the spindle 61 of the gears 6I, 62 so as to allow the nut 51 to swing with the cradle 5I about the shaft 52.

The bell-crank lever 55 is connected by a link 68 to a lever '69, and thence by link 10, lever 1I, and link 12 to a tension bar lever 13 pivoted to the cradle 5I. The yarn 14 passes over the ten- `sion bar 15 and downwards to the guide 65, the arrangement shown being suitable for receiving one of a plurality of yarns delivered in a substantially horizontal direction, as shown in Fig. 10. A tendency to increase of yarn tension as the package builds up causes the tension bar lever 13 to move in a clockwise direction, and through the intermediary levers and links 68, 69, 10, 1I, 12 to rock the bell-crank lever 55 in an anticlockwise direction. This relieves the pressure between the friction roller 16 mounted on the package support and the friction roller 11 on the driving shaft 52. A diminution in yarn tension has the converse result.

As shown by Fig. 10, the Winding device is constructed in such a manner that several of the devices can be mounted not only end-to-end in a row (using a common driving shaft 52) but also in several rows arranged close together so as to provide for the winding of a large number of yarns, for example in connection with machines in which a large number of yarns are arranged close together in warp form to be treated simultaneously. The yarns are led to a guide bar 18 from which they are distributed to the several winding devices, the yarns proceeding more or less horizontally to the tension bars 'I5 of the devices and then more or less vertically to the takeup packages.

Though the two forms of apparatus according to the invention have been described respectively in connection with the winding of artificial yarn continuously with its production on the one hand, and with the winding of yarn when treated in warp form on the other, it is to be understood that neither form of apparatus is limited to any of these applications and that either form of apparatus can be used not only for either of the applications mentioned but for any other textile operation calling for the building of uniformly wound cross-wound packages.

Having described our invention, what We desire to secure by Letters Patent is: l

1. A yarn-winding machine comprising'a rotatable package support, a traverse guide, adapted to move lengthwise of said package support,

a feeler wheel adapted to make contact with the surface of the package and to be driven thereby, a screwed shaft geared to the feeler wheel, and a movable cradle for the package support engaged by said screwed shaft'so as to move the axis of the package support progressively away from the path of the tr'averse guide as the diameter of the package increases.

2. A yarn-winding machine according to claim 1, comprising a half-nut in the package supporting cradle, and resilient means adapted to hold the half-nut in engagement with the screwed shaft while permitting the nut to come out of engagement with"'the shaft so as to allow the cradle to be pushed towards the path of the traverse guide.

3. A yarn-winding machine comprising a rotatable package support, a movable cradle for said package support, a traverse guide, adapted to move lengthwise of said package support, a member adapted tol feel the surface of the package and gearing connected to said member and to said cradle and adapted to move the cradle so that the axis of the package moves away from the path of the traverse guide as the diameter of the package increases.

4. A yarn-winding machine comprising a rotatable package support, a movable cradle for said package support, a traverse guide, adapted to move lengthwise of said package support, friction means for driving the package support, a tension device adapted to be engaged by yarn being wound and to be controlled by tension in such yarn, means connecting the tension device with the friction means to enable more or vless slip to take place in the drive to the package support asI the tension in the yarn proceeding via the 'tension device to the support increases or decreases, a member adapted to feel the surface of the package and gearing connected to said member and to said cradle and adap-ted to move the cradle so that the axis of the package moves away from the path of the traverse guide as the diameter of the package increases.

5. A yarn-Winding machine comprising a rotatable package support, a movable cradle for said package support, a traverse guide, adapted to move lengthwise of said package support, friction means for driving the package support comprising a friction roller secured to the support and a second friction roller adapted to engage the first roller, means for driving the second roller, a tension device adapted to be engaged by yarn being wound and to be controlled by tension in such yarn, and means connecting the tension device with said friction means and adapted to decrease or increase the pressure of the first friction roller and the second friction roller so as to enable more or less slip to take place in the drive to the package support as tatable package support, friction means for driving the package support comprising a friction roller secured to the support and a second friction roller adapted to engage the first roller, a drivingshaft carrying said second friction roller, a tension device adapted to be engaged by yarn being wound and to be controlled by tension in said yarn, means connecting said tension device with said friction meansI and adapted to decrease or increase the pressure of the first friction'roller on the second friction roller so as to -g enable more or less slip to take place in the drive to the package support as the tension in the yarn proceeding via the tension device to the support increases or decreases, a. movable cradle for said package support, said cradle being pivotally mounted on the driving shaft carrying said second friction roller, a traverse guide, adapted to move lengthwise of said package support, a member adapted to feel the surface of the package and gearing connected to said member and to said cradle and adapted to rock the cradle so that the axis of the package moves away from the path of the traverse guide as the diameter of the package increases.

7. A yarn-winding machine -comprising a rotatable package support, a movable cradle for said package support, a traverse guide, adapted to move lengthwise of said package support, friction means for driving the package support,

being wound and to be controlled by tension in such yarn, a lever engaging one end of the package support, means connecting the tension device with `said lever so as to move the one end of the package support and enable more or less slip to take place in the drive to the package support as the tension in the yarn proceeding via the tension device to the support increases or 'decreases, a member adapted to feel the surface of the package and gearing connected to'said member and to said cradle and adapted to move the cradle so that the axis f the package moves away from the path of the traverse guide as the diameter of the package increases.

8. A yarn-winding machine comprising a rotatable package support, a movable cradle for said package support, a traverse guide, adapted to move lengthwise of said package support, a member adapted to feel the surface of the package and gearing connected to said member and to said cradle and adapted to move the cradle so that the axis of the package moves away from the path of the traverse guide as the diameter of the package increases, friction means for driving the package support, a tension device adapted to be engaged by yarn being wound and to be controlled by tension in such yarn, a slotted lever engaging one end of the package support and connected to said'tcnsion device so as to move the one end of the package support and to enable more or less slip to take place in the drive to the package support as the tension in the `yan. proceeding via the tension device to the support increases or decreases, said package support engaging the slot in said lever to permit the tena tension device adapted to be engaged by yarn sion device to maintain control over the friction means during the progressive movement of the axis of the package support away from the traverse guide.

9. A yarn-winding machine comprising a rotatable package support, friction means for driving the package support comprising a friction roller secured to the support and a second friction roller adapted to engage the first roller, a driving shaft carrying said second friction roller, a movable cradle for the package support, said cradle being pivotally mounted on the driving shaft carrying said second friction roller, a traverse guide, adapted to move lengthwise of said package support, a member adap-ted to feel the surface of the package support, gearing connected to said member and to said cradle and adapted to rock the cradle so that the axis of Vthe package moves away from the path of the traverse guide as the diameter of the package increases, a tension device adapted to be engaged by yarn being wound and to be controlled by tension in such yarn, a slotted lever, one end of the package support engaging the slot in said lever and means connecting the tension device with said lever, so as to move the lever and the end of said package support and to enable more or less slip to take place in the drive to the package support as the tension in the yarn proceeding via the tension device to the support increases or decreases the slot in the lever being curved about a center substantially coinciding with the pivoted point of said cradle.

10. A yam-winding machine comprising a rotatable package support, a movable cradle for said package support, means for driving the package support comprising a friction roller secured to the support, a second friction roller adapted to engage the rst friction roller, a driving shaft carrying said second friction roller, a tension device carried by said cradle and adapted to be engaged by yarn being wound and to be controlled by tension in such yarn, a slotted lever carried by said cradle, said lever engaging one end of the package support, and means connecting the tension device with said lever so as to move the one end of the package support and enable more or less slip to take place in the drive to the package support as the tension in the yarn proceeding via the tension device to the support increases or decreases, a traverse guide, adapted to move lengthwise of said package support, a member adapted to feel the surface of the package and gearing connected to said member andto said cradle and adapted to move the cradle so that the abris ofthe package moves away from the path of the traverse guide as the diameter of the package increases.

11. A yarn-winding machine comprising a rotatable package support, friction means for driving the package support comprising a friction roller secured to the support and a second friction roller adapted to engage the rst roller, a driving shaft carrying said second friction roller, a movable cradle for the package support, said cradle being pivotally mounted on the driving shaft carrying said second friction roller, a traverse guide, adapted to move lengthwise of said package support, a feeler wheel adapted to make contact with the surface of the package and to be driven thereby, a screwed shaft geared to the feeler wheel and engaging said cradle and adapted to rock the cradle so that the axis of the package moves away from the path of the traverse guide as the diameter of the package increases, a tension device adapted to be engaged by yarn being wound and to be controlled by tension in such yarn, a slotted lever, one end of the package support engaging the slot in said lever, and means connecting the tension device with said lever so as to move the lever and the end of said package support and to enable more or less slip to take place in the drive to the package support as the tension in the yarn proceeding via the tension device to the support increases or decreases, the slot in the lever being `curved about a center substantially coinciding with the pivoted point of said cradle to permit the tension device to maintain control over the friction means during the progressive movement of the axis of the package support away from the traverse guide.

12. -A yarn-winding machine comprising a ro tatable package support, a movable cradle for said package support, means for driving the package support comprising a friction roller secured to the support, a second friction roller adapted to engage the first friction roller, a driving shaft carrying said second friction roller, a tension device carried by said cradle and adapted to be engaged by yarn being wound and to be controlled by tension in said yarn, a slotted lever carried by said cradle, said lever engaging one end of the package support, means connecting the tension device with said lever so as to move the one end of the package support and enable more or less slip to take place in the drive to the package support as the tension in the yarn proceeding via the tension device to the support increases or decreases, a traverse guide, adapted to move lengthwise of said package support, a feeler wheel adapted to make contact with the surface of the package and to be driven thereby and a screwed shaft geared to the feeler wheel and engaging said cradle so as to rock the cradle so that the axis of the package moves away from the path of the traverse guide as the diameter of the package increases.

13. A yarn-winding machine comprising a cradle, a substantially horizontal axis for the cradle, means for mounting the rotatable package support substantially horizontally in the cradle, a lever secured to the cradle and engaging one end of the package support, a friction roller d secured to that end of the package support, a second friction roller against which the first fric tion roller is pressed by the weight of the support, means for driving the second friction roller, a tension device carried by the cradle, means connecting the tension device with the level" in the cradle so as to raise or lower one end of the package support slightly according as the tension in the yarn passing via the tension device to the support increases or decreases thereby increasing or decreasing the pressure between the friction rollers, a traverse guide, adapted to move lengthwise of said package support, a feeler wheel adapted to make contact with the surface of the package and to be driven thereby, a screwed shaft in geared connection with said feeler wheel and means on the cradle engaged by the screwed shaft to enable the cradle and the package support to be moved progressively away from the path of the traverse guide as the diameter of the package increases.

EDWARD KINSELLA. ROBERT WIGHTON MONCRIEFF. 

